New Study: Cannabis Use May Lead to a Lower BMI

A study recently published in Obesity in December 2014 presents evidence that cannabis use may lead to lower rates of obesity.

Researchers used data gathered in 2004 from 786 Inuit adults, using the Nunavik Inuit Health Survey, and found that use was very common, with 57.4% of adults being cannabis users. They also found that cannabis use was associated with:

a lower body mass index (BMI)- i.e. users weigh less than non-users for their given height

a lower percentage of fat mass

a lower amount of insulin in the blood when not eating, suggesting a decreased chance of having/developing prediabetes

a lower homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), a measure of insulin resistance, also suggesting a decreased chance of having/developing prediabetes